The Psoas: Seat of the Soul

For tension to be released in the tissues of the body, first, it needs to be activated. Gaze into this visual above – how does this make you feel, and importantly, what does it awaken in you?

Weakness in this deep seated muscle, the deepest in the body – the psoas major, can create postural unpleasantness, low back irritations, breathing issues and a lack of confidence.

To both strengthen and support/ease, this incredible innermost part of us, requires a gathering embodied awareness of what’s going on around it.

I like to call this ‘neighbourly relations’. Just as we wish to be on good terms with our next door neighbours, so too, we wish to be on good terms with our own myo-fascial networks (myo meaning muscle, fascia relating to the connective tissue throughout the body)

More about the psoas

• Psoas’ – stems from Greek, meaning muscle of the loin
• Has close relations with the iliacus muscle, hence we might see it referred to combined as ‘iliopsoas’
• Key stabiliser and muscle that assists in walking/running – notice how it inserts at the femur – the thigh bone? It connects abdomen to the legs
• Vital in harnessing effective and healthy posture – how we move through our daily fabric
• Originates near the top of the solar plexus, at the bottom of the thoracic spine (T12)

Deep seated upset might be buried here. When we crack open the embodiment doorway, we are truly connecting with what is there, through sensation.

Sensation is information.

Come and experience this deep part of you for yourself. That is the true teacher. Your amazing body.

The arc of the session:

• Welcome and introduction to the theme and the psoas experience
• Connecting with coherent breathing to both activate and release these deeper abdominal muscles
• Moving through an intelligently designed hip releasing sequence, that begins gently, and layers into deeper squats and lunges, ending into a series of relieving, longer held passive poses to release what has been activated.
• A long restful and supported final relaxation

Come away with a greater and deeper connection to this part of you, that always sits within the context of the whole.

The session infuses a weave of embodied coherent breathing, along with soothing hip opening sequences to ease tension from the pelvic bowl, hamstrings and lower back topography. All around the deeper wisdom of the psoas.

This is always a practice.

Come, let’s practise together.

Summary of workshop detail

Date: Saturday 13th January

Time: 10 am to midday

Venue: Effra Space, 21 Effra Parade, London SW2 1PX:

Effra Space & Herne Hill Space — find Effra Space

Investment: £30 pp

How to book: Link to pay: https://buy.stripe.com/8wM4iB58AgV74PS7sw

Payment confirms your place. You are also welcome to bring cash on the day – just email Ciara to book your place (ciara@whollyaligned.com)

What to bring: Mats and props are at the studio.

Toilets and changing facilities are also there.

Cancellation policy: Minimum of 48 hours notice please, with your payment transferred/credited to another Wholly Aligned offering